[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 74 (Tuesday, June 14, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: June 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
FURTHER RECOGNITION OF THE VETERANS OF SOMALIA
______
HON. ROBERT K. DORNAN
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, June 14, 1994
Mr. DORNAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to include for the Record today
additional stories of some of the brave fighting men who lost their
lives in combat in Somalia last year.
SSgt. William D. Cleveland Jr.
a guy who never said no to anybody
SSgt. William D. Cleveland Jr. was just the sort of guy
you'd want as your crew chief on an MH-60 special operations
Black Hawk helicopter: experienced, competent and totally
reliable.
During his roughly 16 years in the Army, these qualities
had helped Cleveland rise to the position of section sergeant
in 1st platoon, D Company, 1st Battalion, 160th Special
Operations Aviation Regiment, Fort Campbell, Ky. Cleveland--
``Bill'' to his friends--was the crew chief on the second
Black Hawk shot down during the Oct. 3 firefight in
Mogadishu, Somalia, and was awarded the Silver Star
posthumously for his actions during the battle. Only CW2
Michael Durant survived the crash.
He is remembered by his colleagues as a man who could
always be counted on both personally and professionally.
``Before he'd leave to go home, if I'd given him a task to
do, he'd get it done, and there were no short cuts about
it,''says SFC Gregory Cogman, his platoon sergeant.
Like the model NCO he was, Cleveland was always there for
his troops. ``You could always ask him for anything,'' Cogman
says. ``There wasn't anything that he wouldn't do for any of
the guys in the platoon, even if it was on his own time.''
For example, when one of the platoon's soldiers needed some
trees cutting down in his yard, Cleveland brought over his
own chainsaw and truck one weekend and did the job himself,
according to Cogman. ``No charge, no nothing, no questions
asked,'' Cogman said. ``He never said no to anybody.''
____
Sgt. Thomas J. Field
this soldier came home to a hero's funeral
Hundreds of mourners attended the burial of Sgt. Thomas J.
Field, 25, the crew chief on a Black Hawk shot down over
Mogadishu Oct. 3. Small yellow ribbons adorned St. Anne's
Roman Catholic Church in Lisbon, Maine, where he was buried
with military honors.
``It was a true, hometown-hero funeral,'' says Georgie
Asbury, Thomas Field's fiancee. ``The streets were lined with
people. The VFW and American Legion were out with their color
guard.''
Thomas Field, the youngest of three brothers, made friends
easily, loved action films, country western music and ice
hockey.
``This guy was perfect,'' his fiancee says. ``He's from
a wonderful community. Once I'd met his family, I realized
why he was such a wonderful person.''
Thomas Field was serving with the 160th Special Operations
Aviation Regiment when he died in Mogadishu. He also was a
veteran of Operation Just Cause in Panama. He joined the Army
in 1988 and graduated from Airborne and Air Assault schools.
During his Army career, he was awarded the Silver Star,
Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal with ``V'' device, Good
Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces
Expeditionary Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
SFC Earl R. Fillmore, Jr.
For him, the military was a family tradition
When SFC Earl R. Fillmore Jr. joined the Army under the
Delayed Entry Program, he followed the paths of many of the
men in his life. His grandfather, father and two uncles all
served in the military.
A childhood friend said they often played soldiers. Earl
Fillmore was 18 when he left Derry, Pa., for basic training
at Fort Jackson, S.C. At 24, he became the youngest soldier
chosen for Delta Force, part of the Army Special Forces
Command at Fort Bragg.
Before his assignment with the U.S. Army Special Forces
Command (Airborne), Earl Fillmore served with A Company, 1st
Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He was a
veteran of Operation Just Cause (Panama) and Operation Desert
Shield (Saudi Arabia).
He was killed Oct. 3 while serving as a medic with Task
Force Ranger in Mogadishu. He was 28.
Earl Fillmore was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously.
During his career, he also received the Bronze Star,
Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge and
Ranger tab.
CW4 Raymond A. Frank
badly injured in a crash, he vowed to fly again
CW4 Raymond A. Frank, 45--``Ironman'' to his buddies for
his iron will and determination to return to duty after
sustaining serious injuries in a helicopter crash--was also a
talented artist, seamster, golfer, pianist, carpenter and
mechanic, said his widow, Willi Frank, of Clarksville, Tenn.
``He was just great at so many thing,'' she says. ``He
could play anything he heard on the piano,'' and would play
for hours on the grand piano in their Clarksville home.
The Franks had been married for more than 20 years. Willi
Frank says her husband was her best friend and confidant.
``He had blue eyes that seemed so wise and always
laughing,'' she says. ``He had a smile that. . . could melt
the coldest heart.''
They met on Willi's birthday at a bar where she worked. He
had just returned from a tour in Vietnam. She waited on him
and offered him a piece of her birthday cake. He declined and
took her out to dinner instead after she got off work. They
were married soon after, Willi Frank says.
In 1990, Raymond Frank was seriously injured in a
helicopter crash at Fort Chaffee, Ark. His left leg was
crushed and three vertebra were shattered. It took three
surgeries to get him back on his feet, but he was determined
to fly again.
``His flying skills in that incident saved the lives of
seven other crew members,'' Willi Frank recalls. His
determination to return to duty was an inspiration to other
soldiers, she says. ``He was totally dedicated to this
country.''
Raymond Frank was killed Oct. 3 after he was captured by
Somalis when his aircraft was shot down over Mogadishu.
____
Sgt. Christopher K. Hilgert
in time, he'd have been `one hell of a soldier'
``A model son'' is how Sgt. Christopher K. Hilgert, 27, is
described by his father, Earl Hilgert.
``I never had a bit of trouble out of him. He was an avid
sports fan . . . He was just a good kid.''
Christopher Hilgert had served with an armored company in
Germany, but decided he wanted to become a military policeman
to learn a skill he could use outside the Army.
He went to college on scholarship, had been a member of the
National Honor Society and was a top marksman, his father
says. He'd been out of MP school just eight weeks when he
learned he would be going to Somalia.
Christopher Hilgert died with three other MPs Aug. 9 on a
routine patrol through Mogadishu. The Humvee they were
traveling in ran over a remotely detonated bomb.
``Given a little more experience and time, he would have
been one hell of a soldier,'' Earl Hilgert says.
____
PFC James H. Martin Jr.
`our family has paid more than its share'
One could say that James H. Martin Jr. had itchy feet. The
sense of adventure that saw him enlist in the Army in early
1992 and eventually took him to Somalia in August 1993 had
its beginning more than 20 years ago in a three-year-old from
Collinsville, Ill.
That toddler would occasionally take off on his own to
visit his grandmother some 2\1/2\ miles down the road, or go
to a nearby lake just to watch the ducks.
``He was a handful,'' says his mother, Karen Martin, who
still lives in Collinsville. Years later, after joining the
Army but still very much family oriented, James Martin talked
of trying to get posted in Kansas so he could live closer to
his family, his favorite fishing spots and his friends.
Joining the Army was something James Martin had thought
about for many years, says Karen Martin. After all, she says,
his father, James H. Martin Sr., served in the Korean War and
his grandfather and an uncle died in service in World War II.
``I didn't want him to go in, but I wasn't surprised,'' Karen
Martin says. ``Our family has paid more than its share.''
When he went off to Fort Drum, N.Y., James Martin took with
him his love of music. He liked to write his own music, and
liked the oldies, says his wife, Lori. ``His favorite was
Buddy Holly.'' He took his guitar and harmonica with him to
Fort Drum, but only took his harmonica to Somalia. ``He was
concerned his guitar would get beat up, so we were going to
send him a cheap one,'' his mother says, ``but we never got
the chance.''
James Martin, 23, was assigned to A Company, 2d Bat talion,
14th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry).
Members of the company, part of the quick-reaction force
in Somalia, had been sent to rescue Rangers exchanging
fire with Somalis in the streets of Mogadishu Oct. 3.
James Martin was killed when the company's convoy was
ambushed.
When she was asked about her husband's final mission and
the dangers he faced in Somalia, Lori Martin says: ``If it
meant saving someone's life, he would do it. That's the kind
of person he was.''
Of her only son, Karen Martin says simply: ``He was
perfect.''
____
MSgt. Timothy L. Martin
just short of 20 years, he'd thought of retiring
MSgt. Timothy L. Martin was accustomed to the military
life. He was the son of a career Air Force sergeant and
traveled around the country before moving in with his
grandmother in Aurora, Ind., at the age of 16.
So his decision to join the military after graduating from
Aurora High School in 1974 wasn't much of a surprise to his
family. Before he was killed Oct. 3 while serving with Task
Force ranger, Timothy Martin had an accomplished military
career.
He was well-trained, having completed Airborne Ranger
School, Jungle Warfare Training, Jumpmaster Training, Special
Forces Qualifications, Combat Engineer, Special Forces
Underwater Operations. His decorations included the Bronze
Star, Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two
Meritorious Service Medals, Combat Infantryman Badge and
Ranger tab.
Timothy Martin left behind his wife, Linda, and three girls
when he left for Somalia. Before he deployed, he said he was
thinking about retiring and starting a small business. He
would have completed 20 years of active duty service in June.
____
Sgt. Keith D. Pearson
`best man' was picked for deployment vacancy
Sgt. Keith D. Pearson, 25, wasn't originally scheduled to
deploy to Somalia, but ended up filling a vacancy with the
977th Military Police Company, Fort Riley, Kan.
``His commanding officer said he picked the best man to
go,'' says his father, Burton Pearson, after his son's death
in Somalia Aug. 9, 1993.
``He was a very compassionate young man,'' his father
recalls. ``He loved his job, and he loved his country.''
A gregarious person and a formidable Dallas Cowboys fan,
Keith Pearson is remembered by his family and friends as
someone who would stand up for people who needed help, and
one who went out of his way to make other people feel
comfortable.
He and his wife, Jody, went out of their way to include
single soldiers in social events. Jody had planned to tape
football games for her husband while he was in Somalia.
Before he was married, Keith Pearson lived for a time with
his older brother, Eric. ``He was more than a brother; he was
a friend,'' Eric Pearson says.
Keith Pearson died with three other MPs when the Humvee
they were traveling in ran over a remotely detonated bomb.
Sgt. Ferdinan C. Richardson
he died on a mission to protect his comrades
Sgt. Ferdinan C. Richardson, 27, an intelligence analyst
with the 10th Mountain Division's 10th Aviation Brigade, gave
his life trying to protect his fellow soldiers from the
threat of rocket-grenade launchers that were concealed by
Somali militiamen in the back streets of Mogadishu.
Ferdinan Richardson, of Watertown, N.Y., was one of five
soldiers who boarded a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on the
night of Sept. 26 to investigate a report that launchers had
been deployed near the new port area of the city.
As he scanned the area below, ground fire reached up to
strike the fast-moving helicopter. The pilot managed to
crash-land the Black Hawk in a street. Ferdinan Richardson,
the door gunner and the crew chief were killed; the pilot and
co-pilot were injured, but escaped the hostile mob that
gathered at the crash site.
Sgt. Lorenzo M. Ruiz
his mother is at peace, pleased he'd served well
Sgt. Lorenzo M. Ruiz, 27, knew the potential peril of
service as a Ranger, but he didn't scare easy. His brother,
Jorge Ruiz, of El Paso, Texas, said his older brother
``wouldn't back away from anything.''
``He liked his job as a Ranger and he liked danger,'' Jorge
Ruiz told Army Times after Lorenzo Ruiz's death in the Oct. 3
firefight. His actions during that clash earned him the
Bronze Star for valor.
Lorenzo Ruiz indicated that he believed he was going to die
in his last letter home. ``He told me not to worry about him,
and that the Rangers are the best,'' Jorge Ruiz said. ``And
he told me to take care of grandmother and my mother.
After his death, his mother Maria Contreras, told The
Associated Press she was at peace. ``He was over there doing
what his country wanted him to do,'' she said.
Sgt. Eugene Williams
he lived for two loves, flying and soldiering
Sgt. Eugene Williams, 26, loved flying and living the
soldier's life. He died doing both when the Black Hawk
helicopter he was traveling in was shot down Sept. 26 over
Mogadishu.
``He kept his eye on the prize, and the prize was to be a
soldier,'' the Rev. Thomas Jackson, Eugene Williams' long-
time pastor, told the Associated Press.
He wore his first uniform as a member of an Explorer Scout
troop, later, he would don an Army uniform and serve seven
months in the Persian Gulf war as a helicopter mechanic.
The second eldest of four, Eugene Williams grew up on
Chicago's West Side and made his parents proud.
``He was dedicated,'' his father told the Associated Press.
``It's not a consolation, but one thing that makes me feel
better is he did some things that he wanted to do. The Army
was his choice.''
____
CW4 Clifton P. Wolcott
`he called and said, pack me a bag'
In just three years, CW4 Clifton P. Wolcott, 36, would have
retired to the farm he and his wife bought in the rolling
hills of Kentucky's North Carolina County, about an hour from
Fort Campbell.
``We were starting to learn to raise cattle, and he was
quite a good horseman,'' says his widow, Christine Wolcott.
He would take his 12-year-old son, Robert, dove hunting.
``He was really a good husband and always put his family
first,'' Christine Wolcott says. ``He was sweet and
considerate. Robert and I knew we were the main focus of his
life.
As an Army brat, Clifton Wolcott grew up in Germany, hiking
in the Alps with his mother while his father served in
Vietnam. The family later moved to upstate New York before he
joined the Army.
``Clif was totally devoted to his parents; he loved them
very much. I think that says a lot about the way he was
raised,'' Christine Wolcott says. ``I've seen guys that love
their country and say they are patriotic, but Clif lived
it.''
Typical of special operations missions, the family had no
warning when Clifton Wolcott deployed to Somalia Aug. 11.
``It was one of those days where I came home from work, and
he called and said, `Pack me a bag,' '' His widow says.
She talked to him twice by phone after he arrived in
Somalia. ``He didn't talk about the mission. . .[but he said]
everybody there was very sharp and all the people he worked
with were really outstanding. He really was proud of the men
he worked with.''
Clifton Wolcott was killed Oct. 3 while serving with Task
Force Ranger in Mogadishu.
____________________